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If you haven't been a member of a cycling club before, get a 2 month starter membership. It's only $50. You can race most races for 2 months. You can do the Women's Handicap next week, but get on to the club secretary ASAP to organise. You can do any of the non championship races on the calendar.

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If you haven't been a member of a cycling club before, get a 2 month starter membership. It's only $50. You can race most races for 2 months. You can do the Women's Handicap next week, but get on to the club secretary ASAP to organise. You can do any of the non championship races on the calendar.

And make arrangements for someone to help dress you when you break a collarbone from crashing 😲

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And make arrangements for someone to help dress you when you break a collarbone from crashing 😲

What AA7 is saying is: there are lots of cowgirls/cowboys in cycle racing. More change of coming down in a final sprint that anytime in Triathlon. Most people I know who have come down no longer race or can't.

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What AA7 is saying is: there are lots of cowgirls/cowboys in cycle racing. More change of coming down in a final sprint that anytime in Triathlon. Most people I know who have come down no longer race or can't.

Pick a sport that has longevity

That's why the handicap road race would be the best place to start, rather than a crit.

I raced every week for a few years. I never came off. I won a few races, but was never in the hustle & bustle of mass sprints.

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Tip no:1 Look for other Triathletes & stay away from them in the race.

Tip no:2 Roll ya turn and do your fair share of work

Tipn no:3 Get ya poker face on

Tip no:4 Take your turns at the front when there is a tail wind.

Tip no:5 You are going to hurt more than any tri you have ever raced - enjoy it

Tip no:6 Eat & drink, they may be short races but you will be burning matches

Tipn no:7 don't wear Ironman branded geat

Tip no: 8 Get your socks height sorted

Tip no:9 Don't win the first race

Tip no:10 stay smooth into the corners & hold your line

Tip no:10 depending on your grade you will race against the same people most weeks. Take the first few races to learn the feel of the bunch. Look for people chopping wheels etc & stay away from them. There will also be people sitting on all race "wheel sucking scum" don't be that person.

Also pick your races you are going to go for the win on. I don't have a sprint or the balls to be shoulder to shoulder with guys pushing for the win at 60+km/h. So I target the road races with an uphill finish so I can ditch the sprinters. Then try to get the better of the climbers on the line.

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Tip no:1 Look for other Triathletes & stay away from them in the race.

Tip no:2 Roll ya turn and do your fair share of work

Tipn no:3 Get ya poker face on

Tip no:4 Take your turns at the front when there is a tail wind.

Tip no:5 You are going to hurt more than any tri you have ever raced - enjoy it

Tip no:6 Eat & drink, they may be short races but you will be burning matches

Tipn no:7 don't wear Ironman branded geat

Tip no: 8 Get your socks height sorted

Tip no:9 Don't win the first race

Tip no:10 stay smooth into the corners & hold your line

Tip no:10 depending on your grade you will race against the same people most weeks. Take the first few races to learn the feel of the bunch. Look for people chopping wheels etc & stay away from them. There will also be people sitting on all race "wheel sucking scum" don't be that person.

Also pick your races you are going to go for the win on. I don't have a sprint or the balls to be shoulder to shoulder with guys pushing for the win at 60+km/h. So I target the road races with an uphill finish so I can ditch the sprinters. Then try to get the better of the climbers on the line.

Not sure about 'wheel sucking scum'. Ive often signed up to race, never signed up to do a turn 😉😉

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You're "that guy/girl" lol If the rest of the peleton have any brains they will work against you & not drag you to the finish.

I always tried not to do my turn, unless in a break, or trying to bring one in, but they didn't mind dragging me to the finish. Even though I could outsprint any triathlete I knew, most cyclists left me for dead in the final 100m.

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Cranky, contact the club secretary now, tell him you are interested in racing, and would like to start. He may be able to put you on to someone who you can ride with and talk to before that first race. It will help a lot.

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I asked them about doing the TT at Pinkenba and they knocked me back because the Shiv isn't legal. I admitted it in my initial email to them and was quite happy to be DQ'd upon completion and just wanted a time and the chance to race on closed roads but they didn't want any part of it.

I could understand if it was riding in a bunch and being UCI illegal could have an effect on the way that the race plays out, but this obviously isn't the case on an ITT. Happy to wear their decision, albeit unhappily, and my wait to do an ITT somewhere goes on.

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I asked them about doing the TT at Pinkenba and they knocked me back because the Shiv isn't legal. I admitted it in my initial email to them and was quite happy to be DQ'd upon completion and just wanted a time and the chance to race on closed roads but they didn't want any part of it.

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I asked them about doing the TT at Pinkenba and they knocked me back because the Shiv isn't legal. I admitted it in my initial email to them and was quite happy to be DQ'd upon completion and just wanted a time and the chance to race on closed roads but they didn't want any part of it.

I could understand if it was riding in a bunch and being UCI illegal could have an effect on the way that the race plays out, but this obviously isn't the case on an ITT. Happy to wear their decision, albeit unhappily, and my wait to do an ITT somewhere goes on.

I agree with daz that it's strange. It's been a few years, but I always raced on my bike, & it was an obvious one, with a smaller front wheel. They even let me count in the results, just couldn't race in the club championships. It wasn't that ITT you were trying to enter was it?

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I agree with daz that it's strange. It's been a few years, but I always raced on my bike, & it was an obvious one, with a smaller front wheel. They even let me count in the results, just couldn't race in the club championships. It wasn't that ITT you were trying to enter was it?

Mind you, I'd been racing with them for a few years at that stage.

This was the TT before the one that was supposed to be this Sunday. I think it was in March some time. I can't remember for certain but I'm pretty sure that it was a standard TT event.

I completely understand their point of view that I am deliberately breaking the rules and have never raced with their club before so they don't know me from a bar of soap, but I was a bit surprised that they turned down my offer of free money.

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If you haven't been a member of a cycling club before, get a 2 month starter membership. It's only $50. You can race most races for 2 months. You can do the Women's Handicap next week, but get on to the club secretary ASAP to organise. You can do any of the non championship races on the calendar.

That's at Elimbah, yeah? I was hoping to stick to nundah crit track so I could take the girls with me and not have to travel. For some reason I just thought, before looking into it, they raced there every Saturday.

2 hours ago, Bored@work said:

Tip no:1 Look for other Triathletes & stay away from them in the race.

Tip no:2 Roll ya turn and do your fair share of work

Tipn no:3 Get ya poker face on

Tip no:4 Take your turns at the front when there is a tail wind.

Tip no:5 You are going to hurt more than any tri you have ever raced - enjoy it

Tip no:6 Eat & drink, they may be short races but you will be burning matches

Tipn no:7 don't wear Ironman branded geat

Tip no: 8 Get your socks height sorted

Tip no:9 Don't win the first race

Tip no:10 stay smooth into the corners & hold your line

Tip no:10 depending on your grade you will race against the same people most weeks. Take the first few races to learn the feel of the bunch. Look for people chopping wheels etc & stay away from them. There will also be people sitting on all race "wheel sucking scum" don't be that person.

Also pick your races you are going to go for the win on. I don't have a sprint or the balls to be shoulder to shoulder with guys pushing for the win at 60+km/h. So I target the road races with an uphill finish so I can ditch the sprinters. Then try to get the better of the climbers on the line.

Lots of great advice here. Thanks, Bored.

2 hours ago, Surfer said:

Cranky I thought you sold your roadie?

Got my 9 year old one still. Covered in dust.

1 hour ago, Merv said:

Out of that program, the road races at elimbah and lakeside are the best. imo

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Nundah can be daunting for a beginner, especially if you do a lot of your riding on the trainer or on the road not in a bunch. This is especially true for someone who is very competitive and won't want to sit back out of it. Have you watched some Crit's out there?

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Nundah can be daunting for a beginner, especially if you do a lot of your riding on the trainer or on the road not in a bunch. This is especially true for someone who is very competitive and won't want to sit back out of it. Have you watched some Crit's out there?

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Cranky - murrarie is on nearly every Sat morning. Balmoral Cycling Club are the key club who run the event. My club (Brisbane) are very active there, though you'll see BNECC at Nundah regularly as well. BNECC also have a large womans contingent as well (Kangaroo Point seem to as well).

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Nundah can be daunting for a beginner, especially if you do a lot of your riding on the trainer or on the road not in a bunch. This is especially true for someone who is very competitive and won't want to sit back out of it. Have you watched some Crit's out there?

Who says I'm competitive

I recon I would be able to sit back for a little bit, until I felt comfortable.
No, I haven't.

43 minutes ago, Bored@work said:

There are a heap of good videos on YouTube that will help with skills & tactics in the bunch. I got a lot out them & they helped me improve/enjoy Crits a lot more.

Besides you’re not a cyclist until u have broken a collar bone

Thanks, I'll have a look.
LOL. Thanks for that!!

40 minutes ago, dazmuzza said:

I've raced both and would take Murrarie any day.

Cranky - murrarie is on nearly every Sat morning. Balmoral Cycling Club are the key club who run the event. My club (Brisbane) are very active there, though you'll see BNECC at Nundah regularly as well. BNECC also have a large womans contingent as well (Kangaroo Point seem to as well).

Ahhh geeze. Now what do I do?!
The attraction to Nundah was that my girls know the place and would be happy sitting there waiting for me to race, under the shelter. I'd also feel happy them being there. I'm not familiar with Muzz. I've only ridden there once. So don't feel comfortable taking the girls and dumping them. Dazz (my Dazz) works on a Saturday morning. That was the other attraction to Saturday mornings. It wasn't taking time away from him.

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The attraction to Nundah was that my girls know the place and would be happy sitting there waiting for me to race, under the shelter. I'd also feel happy them being there. I'm not familiar with Muzz. I've only ridden there once. So don't feel comfortable taking the girls and dumping them. Dazz (my Dazz) works on a Saturday morning.

Probably means you'll have to do Nundah then

But while I prefer Muzz and its on seemingly more often, there is still heaps of racing a Nundah.

I only learned 'how to race' last year, and the main thing is being comfortable having people riding literally cms from you. Communicating is also key.

The lower grades are not as super serious as the higher ones. Many I know just do it for a bit of good interval training, so I wouldn't stress that much.

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I wanna see you race the first time... You reckon some of the run sessions I give you hurt, I recon crit racing hurts way more, way way more. Especially when you crash (I dont know many people that have done 100+ crit races that haven't had a fall?)

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I wanna see you race the first time... You reckon some of the run sessions I give you hurt, I recon crit racing hurts way more, way way more. Especially when you crash (I dont know many people that have done 100+ crit races that haven't had a fall?)

I'll stop at 99 then.

I'll let you know when I get my butt organised and you can book your ticket! 🤣

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Tip no:1 Look for other Triathletes & stay away from them in the race.

Tip no:2 Roll ya turn and do your fair share of work

Tip no:10 depending on your grade you will race against the same people most weeks. Take the first few races to learn the feel of the bunch. Look for people chopping wheels etc & stay away from them. There will also be people sitting on all race "wheel sucking scum" don't be that person.

Also pick your races you are going to go for the win on. I don't have a sprint or the balls to be shoulder to shoulder with guys pushing for the win at 60+km/h. So I target the road races with an uphill finish so I can ditch the sprinters. Then try to get the better of the climbers on the line.

I wouldn't agree with this, unless you are in a break. Don't be goaded by some in the bunch that will shout at you to get to the front. That's just game play, they won't do any work and will try and shame the newbies into burning matches, then they'll sit back and laugh as they roll past you with two laps to go.

Don't be at the front and don't be at the back. A racing bunch is an organic moving animal, learn how it 'moves'

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Why not self grade? Starting in the lowest grade seems a waste of time.

Agreed. I raced C-grade first race. I couldn't comprehend racing D-grade. Depending on the numbers though, D-grade might be the best place to start unless they have separate ladies racing that day. C-grade generally averages just under 40km/h and speeds get very spikey.